Convertible chair



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

DE WITT 0. BREED. CONVERTIBLE. CHAIR.

No. 533,032. Patented Jan, 22 1395..

7 Zia/6205 2". v We ilitafireai No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Y DE WITT 0. BREED.

GONVERTIBLE'GHAIR.

' No.533,032. Patented Ja .22,1895;

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. w/tar. A la awe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE WITT O. BREED, OF MEDINA,NEVV YORK.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,032, dated January 22, 1 895.

Application filed September 4, 1894. Serial No. 521,991. (No 1 181,)

dina, in thecounty of Orleans and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to chairs particularly designed for parlor or drawing-room cars, but useful for many other purposes unnecessary to specifically mention. v

' The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved chair which can be conveniently and rapidly converted from a freely rotating single seat into a duplex seat supported in a stationary position by lowering its legs to the floor or other support. To accomplish this object, my invention consists in the combination or arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved chair adjusted to provide a duplex seat. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the chair adjusted to form a single seat and adapted to freely rotate. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the back pieces. Fig. 4 is an edge view of one of the chair seats with the attached leaf or section to con- 'stitute a front part of the chair when the latter is adjusted to provide a duplex seat. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View showing the chair frame extended and omitting the seat and back portions. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the same. Fig. 7 is a trans verse sectional View showing parts of one of the seats and back pieces in position. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of the lazy tongs by which the chair can be extended or contracted, and Fig. 9 is a detail View on the line 9 9, Fig. 5.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention,I will now describe the same in detail, reference being made to the drawings, where it will be observed that the chair is constructed insuch manner that While it can freely turn or rotate on a fixed pedestal, itcan also be. extended rectilinearly in ahorizontal plane to increase its .width to the size of a duplex seat which is requisite for the purpose of comfortably accommodating two'passengers, if required.

The chair comprises a pedestal 1, secured in a stationary position to a car floor or other support and having a cylindrical spindle 2, rising through upper and lower cross bars or plates 3, secured centrally between the extremities of a lazy tongs 4, which at their extremitiesare pivoted to cross pins 5, secured at their upper ends to vertical slidable frames 6, which carry the chair casters 7. The lazy tongs are also secured to cross pins 8, movable vertically in slots 9, formed in the castercarrying frames 7. The extremities of the cross pins 5 extend through vertical slots 10, in the frames 12 and 13, secured respectively to the chair arms or sides 14 and 15. The frames 12 and 13 are adapted. to slide one upon the other so that when the chair arms or sides 14 and 15 are slid in a direction away from each other, the caster-carrying frames 6, are caused to descend and rest upon the car door for the purpose of supporting the chair in'a stationary position.

When the chair is extended as explained, it constitutes a duplex seat, butif the chair arms or sides be moved toward each other to retract the chair, it is converted into a single seat and the lazy-tongs operate to elevate the caster-carrying frames, wherebythe single seat chair will be solely supported by the pedestal 1 and spindle 2 so that it can freely rotate. When the chair is contracted into a single seat, the sliding frames 12 and 13 may be locked by suitable catch bolts 18 operated by a handle 19. The bolts 18 are movable horizontally in suitable guides on the chairarm or side 15, and when the chair is col lapsed or retracted .to provide a single seat chair the handle 19 is operated to move the bolts 18 in an outward direction, so that their outer extremities enter orifices, as at 16, Fig. 5, formed in the frame 12, thereby locking the latter immovable with respect to the frame 13 and chair-arm or side 15. The bolts 18, when moved outward may be caused to pass through orifices 16, into engagement with the frame 13, but this is not essential.

The devices for locking the frames 12 and 13 against independent sliding movements may be variously modified, and therefore I do not limit myself to the particular means shown for this purpose.

The inner ends of the frame 12 are provided with slotted portions 17 and the inner surfaces of the inner ends of the frames 13 are pro- Vided with grooves 17. When the chair is collapsed or retracted the upper and lower slotted portions 17 of the frame 12 receive, respectively, the cross-pins 5 and 8 at the right hand side of the chair, Fig. 6, while the upper and lower grooves 17 of the frame 13, respectively, receive the projecting ends of the cross-pins 5 and 8 at the left hand side of the chair.

The end of the frame 13, at the front and rear of the chair is provided with longitudinally projecting lugs 13, Fig. 5, which are designed to enter suitable'sockets or recesses in the chair-arm or side 14 when the chair is collapsed or retracted. It is not necessary to illustrate the sockets or recesses, as they are simply holes formed suitably to receive the lugs 13.

hen the chair is extended to its full length, the inner ends of the frames 12 and 13 are approximately in line, and are liable to spring past one another and prevent closing of the chair, but the lugs 13 extend past the center line and prevent the ends of the frames springing past one another, or coming in contact in such manner as to interfere with the proper closing of the chair.

The chair back for the double seat chair is preferably composed of two independent sections 20 and 21, each having the edges of its lower ends provided with guide plates 22, as best seen in Fig. 3, which are adapted to engage fianges or lips 23, which are best illus trated in Fig. 5. The front upholstered section 24: of the chair is preferably a permanent attachment, but the upholstered chair seat 25 is preferably removable and replaceable,while the upholstered chair seat 26 is provided with a hinged leaf or section 27, suitably upholstered to constitute a continuation of the front portion 24. when the chair is extended to provide the duplex seat.

Thechair frame when extended to its full capacity, can be utilized in making up a sleeping berth, and it is for this purpose that the back sections 20 and 21 and seats 25 and 26 are removable and replaceable. If, however, the chair is not used in connection with a sleeping berth, it is possible to make the back section 20 and seat section 25 permanent attachments, but the back section 21 and seat 26 should be removable and replaceable in order to make a practical structure which can be converted from a single seat chair into a duplex seat chair.

When the chair is extended to provide a double seat, or if the chair when extended is to be utilized in making up a sleeping car berth, it is desirable that the chair be sustained in a stationary position so that it will not readily turn or rotate on the central pedestal and spindle. This is accomplished by my invention, in that when the chair frame is extended, the caster-carrying frames 6 are caused to descend so that the casters rest on the car floor or other support. If, however, the chair is collapsed into a single seat, the caster-carrying frames rise and move the cats ters from contact with the car floor or other support so that the chair can freely turn or rotate on the pedestal and spindle. This mode of operation is rendered possible by causing the lowermost cross-bar or plate 3 to rest upon a shoulder at the lower end of the spindle 2, while the uppermost cross-bar or plate 3 is susceptible of sliding vertically on the spindle. The lazy tongs, of which there are two pairs, one at the front and one at the rear, are pivotally connected with the crossbars or plates 3. By this construction, as the chair is extended horizontally it increases the width of the seat. By the expansion of the lazy tongs, a leverage is exerted on the lowermost cross-bar or plate 3 and the uppermost cross bar or plate rises as do caster-carrying frames 6.

It is preferable to arrange the parts as described and shown so that when the chairframe is extended or retracted it moves in a horizontal plane and does not rise or fall, but on the contrary, the caster-carrying frames are the elements which rise and fall for the purpose of holding the chair stationary when converted into a double seat or to permit the chair to turn or rotate when adjusted to a single seat.

My invention provides a convertible chair which is very useful in parlor or drawingroom cars, in that it can be utilized in making up a sleeping berth, but I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this particular use of the invention, as, obviously, the chair can be used wherever a chair of the character described is desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A chair journaled to axially rotate on a pedestal and extensible and collapsible to vary its width, combined with leg-frames movable vertically independent of the chair body, and means, substantially as described, for lowering the leg frames as the chair is extended and raising the leg frames as the chair is collapsed, substantially as described.

2. A rotary lengthwise extensible chair provided with vertically movable leg frames having casters, combined with mechanism which moves said leg frames vertically as the chair is extended or retracted lengthwise,substantially as described.

3. A lengthwise extensible and retractible chair provided with leg or caster carrying frames, movable vertically independent of the chair body, and lazy tongs connected with the chair body and with said leg or caster carrying frames for lowering the latter when the chair is extended, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DE WITT O. BREED.

W'itnesses:

HENRIE W. FULLER, MORGAN L. BRAINARD. 

